Open all hours
by MissJimmyChoo
Summary: "I don't need your help. I don't need anyones help."
1. Never sleeps

**I was going to have this as a one shot but some people put it on story alert and I took that to mean they wanted more. So I edited it.**

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Rachel walks into the diner at 12:30 am. She knows this because of the large clock on the wall behind the counter. It's one on those 24-hour diners. A lot of places seemed to be 24-hour places and she had to wonder whether it was because there were a lot of people like her. People who'd given up on everything. Including sleep. Because not everyone makes it. No matter how hard you try. Sometimes everything just become _fucking_ messed up.

She didn't expect anyone to be in the diner at this time. But there was. There was one man sitting in the corner with three empty coffee cups in front of him and he was making his way through his fourth. He was looking down at a sheet of paper with a frown etched on his face. Rachel walked up to the counter and sat on a chair in front of it. There was a woman who kept yawning as she filled in a crossword puzzle. Her name tag read 'Linda- I'm here to help'.

Rachel didn't even glance at the menu. Knowing that she'd only be able to order a coffee because she literally had no money. She rubbed her eyes, sleepily. She hadn't slept in 2 days now. Her record was 5 days without sleep. So far. When she did sleep she only slept for a couple of hours. She ordered her coffee before running a hand through her messy hair.

Rachel had moved to New York in the hopes of making it to Broadway. She'd got accepted into NYU and things seemed to be working out. But then everything went downhill after she'd left the university. Her dad and daddy died in a car accident. Then all the theatres in the area rejected her. As did everyone else. She started dating this guy from her university in hope of becoming happy. But he cheated on her and she was more broken than before. That's when she started to cut herself. Because she felt like it was all her fault and she deserved it.

Basically all in all, she was completely screwed up.

"Rachel?" She heard a voice and when she turned she saw the guy who'd been drinking all the coffee was standing behind her. The guy she now realised was Noah Puckerman. He was dressed in a suit and looked very smart. He looked totally out of place in the diner. He looked like he'd belong more in one of those posh bars all the business men went to. He'd picked up his newest coffee and placed it on the counter next to Rachel. He had the sheet of paper in his hand and was smiling at her. He looked so different than how he'd looked at high school. His hair was longer and he looked so much more mature.

She thought that she must look different to him as well. Her hair was all messy and hanging down her back and it nearly reached her bottom. She had black rings under her eyes and she was wearing a pair of messy jeans with mud stains on them and a long sleeved black t-shirt.

If you looked at them now they must of looked like complete opposites.

"Puck," She nodded and turned back round as the woman placed down her coffee. Puck took a seat next to her and stuffed the sheet of paper into his briefcase which he then put onto the floor.

"How've you been?" He asked as he finished his coffee and ordered another.

"Shit. You?" She replied as she took a small sip of her own coffee.

"Great, actually," He bit his lip.

"Well that's just wonderful," She drawled. He sighed.

"What happened?" He smiled a small smile but she wasn't looking at him.

"Both of my dad's died. My boyfriend cheated on me. And I became nothing. How about you? What happened?" She shrugged as if to say it was no big deal. She took another sip of her coffee.

"Oh... I'm really, really sorry Rach. Believe me," He ignored her question as he placed a hand on her arm. She pulled away from him.

"I don't need your sympathy. I'm perfectly fine," She lied as she pulled the sleeves of her top over her hands to make sure he wouldn't be able to see any of the cuts that lay there.

"Sure you are," He raised an eyebrow as he clearly didn't believe that she was fine.

"So what happened with you?" She asked him to change the subject.

"I got a job in a hospital. I work with all the folders and things. In the office. It's pretty boring. But it's a great pay. I finished about an hour ago now," He nodded and took a huge sip of the coffee the lady had just placed infront of him.

"Good for you," She commented.

"Do you know what I like about the hospital Rachel?" He asked her as he studied her carefully.

"No. But I'm sure you're going to tell me," She said as she rolled her eyes.

"That it's constantly there. Never closing. Never leaving you," He told her as he rested his elbow on the counter and placed his head on the palm of his hand.

"Most placed in NYC are like that. No big deal," She shrugged.

"Things never change y'know?" He carried on as if she hadn't spoken, "People still try to help. Rushing around doing everything they can. It's constant. Not many places are like that nowadays. Everything else in the world can change but the hospitals still there. Trying to help anyone it can. It's always there when your hurt," He sighed as he stared off into the distance.

"Your point is?" She raised an eyebrow at him, showing obviously that she really didn't care.

"Lots of things change. Most things change," He told her as he turned to look at her.

"And? So what?" She asked and muttered under her breath, "Why do I care about that?"

"You've changed Rachel," He stated and she just rolled her eyes again and turned away.

"I know. That's hardly rocket science," She took another sip of her coffee.

"I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you Rach," He put a hand on her wrist, holding on tightly so she couldn't pull away again. This time though she flinched and squeezed her eyes closed like she was in pain, "Rach?"

"Stop it. Stop being so nice to me," She snapped and he pulled his hand off of her.

"Rachel?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Leave me alone, okay?" She told him and turned away from him.

"I'm trying to help," He told her.

"I don't need your help. I don't need anyones help," She drank the rest of her coffee quickly and she was about to get up when he pulled her back down by her wrist which made her react the same as last time.

"Show me your wrist Rach," He ordered her in a soft voice.

"No. Why would I do that?" She was glaring at him now.

"If you don't have anything to hide then you'd show me your wrist," He was looking at her now in such a way that she started to squirm. The woman had put her crossword down now and she was looking at them with interest but they ignored her. Rachel didn't say anything so Puck moved to pull up her sleeve. She couldn't move away fast enough and he'd pulled up the sleeve. He gasped quietly at the big, red gashes on her arms. They were obviously deep and would take ages to heal. There were a lot of old scars to. Healed but you could see them.

"Don't say anything. Please," She pleaded and he knew just what she meant. She didn't want him commenting because that'd make it worse.

"God. Rach look what happened to you," He shook his head sadly. Her eyes were filling with tears but she was determined not to let them fall.

"Stop it. Just stop it," She scowled at him and stood up.

"I want to help," He told her.

"I thought I told you that I didn't need help," She started to walk away but his voice stopped her.

"But you do, Rachel. We both know that," He turned around in his chair and stared at the clock behind the counter.

"I can't be saved, alright? I'm too far gone. No one can help now," She said as she turned to look at him.

"You can always be saved. If you want to be," He turned and looked right back at her.

"Maybe I don't want to be saved," She stared at him without blinking and he nodded.

"Okay," He swivelled back round in his chair.

"Why are you trying to help anyway?" She asked as she took a step closer to him, "Feel guilty that you were such a huge dick in high school? It's not like you actually care about me. You just want to feel better about yourself. Now that you're a big shot you just want to wipe your slate clean. You don't give a shit."

"I do though," He didn't look at her this time, "I care." She started to laugh.

"Now that's the most funny thing I've heard in awhile," She smiled at him but it showed no humour.

"Look at yourself. You're a mess," He said. She rolled her eyes once more.

"Wow. You're so clever. I never knew that," She said and took another step towards him, "Do you want a medal? You're just _so _fucking clever."

"Rachel," He said simply and she shook her head and walked away.

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This story is soooo bad. Sorry. I think it'll only be about 3 chapters.


	2. Never look back

**I didn't get many reviews last chapter :(**

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Rachel was lying on the floor outside the block of flats her apartment used to be in. She'd just got evicted. She was spread across the pavement just to the left of the doors into the building. She had a pile of bags around her and she had very nearly blacked out. Her eyes were half closed and her face was very pale.

Puck walked down the street and saw the girl lying there. He hurried up his pace to try and help. Once he reached her he realised who it was.

"Rachel?" He asked her as he bent down to look her in the face. Her eyes flickered open for a second then closed once more. Puck felt more panicky now. He started to shake her and after a significant amount of time she lifted her head off the ground to scowl at him.

"Fuck off," She mumbled before sighing and dropping her head to the floor once more.

"Get up, Rachel!" He barked and she frowned at him because she didn't recognise his tone.

"And go where exactly? I have no where to go so I might as well just lie here," She told him as she closed her eyes once more. Her voice was slightly slurred but Puck thought that was just down to the fact she was upset.

"Get up," He repeated and this time she listened. She got up with his help and soon they were both on their feet, looking at each other.

"I'm staying with you for a bit, okay?" She made it sound like a question but they both knew it wasn't. He just rolled his eyes at her and nodded.

"So you got kicked out of your apartment?" He asked and she just nodded, "Oh right. And why had you nearly fainted on the side walk?" Once again she didn't answer. She just pointed to a bottle of vodka near the bags of her things.

"I should've guessed," He muttered as he picked up the empty bottle and threw it into a nearby bin. He then grabbed the trash bags which held her things and started to walk. Rachel fell into step beside him. She still looked like she was about to fall over so he held the bags in one hand and used his other arm to help keep her upright.

"It wasn't my fault y'know?" She told him after they'd walked for a few minutes in silence. Now he was so close to her he smelt the alcohol on her breath.

"Then who's fault was it?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Derek's," She replied simply.

"Who's Derek?" Puck glanced at her.

"The guy next door," She answered. He understood that he probably wasn't going to get the full story so he didn't ask another question. Neither of them said anything until they'd reached Puck's car. He opened the door for her and she slipped into the passenger seat. He put the bags of things in the boot of the car then went round the car and got in his own side.

"You look like crap at the moment by the way," He told her as he started to drive off.

"You always look like crap," She shrugged one shoulder.

"That was lame," He commented. She laughed a bit.

"I know," She agreed.

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"Wow. Your kitchen is the size of my whole apartment..." Rachel's eyes were buldged so wide that Puck was scared they'd fall out of their sockets, then she bit her lip and looked at the floor, "Or... Well you know what I mean."

"Yeah... I'm sorry about that Rach," He told her as he set down the bags of her things by the door of his apartment. Rachel smiled at him and then sat cautiously on the couch. He came to sit beside her.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. What do you normally do at this time?" Rachel asked as she pulled at the sleeves of her jumper.

"Well... I normally watch soccer but if you don't want to then we don't have to," He shrugged and she looked up at him.

"I don't mind," She told him and he switched the TV on. They both watched the soccer game in silence. Puck kept stealing glances at Rachel, scared that if he took his eyes off her for one moment she'd crumple into dust. Rachel caught him a couple of times and just rolled her eyes at him. When half an hour had passed and neither of them had spoken Puck looked at Rachel and kept his eyes on her.

"What?" She asked with a frown as she turned to look at him feeling his eyes on her.

"You know I always thought you'd be the one to make it. Out of all of glee club I thought you'd make it the biggest," He told her quietly, scared he'd hurt her feelings.

"Things don't always work out how you expect them to," She shrugged one shoulder.

"I know what you mean," He agreed, nodding his head a little.

"So how did you end up where you are now?" She asked him, cocking up an eyebrow.

"I really have no idea," He laughed, "All I know is me and Finn came to New York. I ended up in a hospital and he ended up on a train to Lima," Then realising that he had no idea what she thought of Finn after he broke up with her in high school and she was left heart broken he flinched and muttered a sorry.

"Neh, it'd no problem. That was years ago now. Why did Finn go back to Lima?" She smiled at him to show just how alright she was with it.

"He didn't like the city. Prefered the quiet Lima," He shrugged, "I meanwhile loved it. I always hated Lima."

"I liked it. But I never thought I belonged there. It wasn't ever my home. I wanted to get out there the first chance I got. Wanted to make something of myself. I didn't but..." She paused to sigh a little, "And that's how I ended up here."

"We all knew you'd come to New York," He stated and she nodded as he spoke.

"I did as well," She said and bit her nail as she stared into the distance.

"I wish things had worked out for you," He told her, "You really diserved it."

"Yeah well," She turned to look at him, "So have you been back to Lima?"

"I go back every summer. That way I get to spend time with Anna, my sister, she's in high school now," Puck smiled as he thought of his baby sister. She was 15 now.

"Yeah? How's she liking that?" Rachel asked him.

"She's popular," He laughed, "Got a right attitude on her. She's not a cheerio though. And I'm proud of her for that."

"Takes after her brother. Got an attitude and she's popular," Rachel smiled.

"She goes to glee as well. Finn teaches that now," Puck told her.

"That's nice. Are the footballers still as mean?" Rachel raised an eyebrow and Puck flinched, thinking about who he'd been in high school, "Sorry. I didn't mean you," Rachel added after a second.

"You did though. I'm not proud of who I was then. I'm sorry about all the stuff I did to you back then," He told her, "And no. I don't think they are. The schools a lot better now. Everyone's more accepting of others."

"That's good," She smiled.

"It is. And you? Have you been back to Lima?" He asked her.

"No. I've not been back once. The first year after I'd left my dad's came to visit me every couple of months but I never went back there," Rachel told him as she shrugged her shoulders.

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Puck woke up in the middle of the night. He turned over to glance at the clock which was glowing '2:30' at him. He got up to go and get a glass of water. When he was opening the fridge to get out the water bottle he saw a little yellow sticky note with writing on it. He switched on the light to read it.

____

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Puck,

If I'm not back by morning I'm still at the coffee shop I go to when I can't sleep.

Rachel x

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When Rachel was coming into Puck's apartment next morning Puck pounced on her. He'd been waiting on the couch ever since he read her note.

"What the fuck?" He asked. And it was rare of him because he hardly ever swore now.

"What?" She asked in return as she pushed past him.

"I didn't know what happened to you. I woke up and you were gone. I was so worried," He was telling her.

"Who are you? My dad?" She tried to ignore the sting the word dad sent her but she still flinched.

"Rachel," He walked up to her, wrapping an arm around her.

"Leave me alone," She pulled away from his arm.

"C'mon. You look terrible. How many nights have you gone without sleeping?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know," She lied (it'd been 6 now).

"Rach," He warned her and he really did look like her dad whenever he was disappointed when she got back home late after seeing Finn.

"6 nights," She muttered and he almost didn't hear her. Almost.

"God, Rach. Why?" He was sighing.

"I can't sleep anymore, alright? I just can't," She glared at him.

"Why not?" He asked in a 'it's-so-easy-why-don't-you-?' way.

"I just can't do it. I can't do this," She gestured around the room but it wasn't that she was indicating. It was the world, "I can't do it. My life is a mess. And sleep doesn't help anymore, so what's the point? I'm fed up of it. I'm not you, okay? I don't have a pretty apartment and a job. I'm not okay. I'm not happy. So just leave me alone and let me live my life. You can't just march in after years and expect that you can fix me. I'm screwed up."

"Oh my god," He whispered quietly because he didn't really know what else to say.

"And if going to a coffee shop and just being away from everything is how I handle things then just leave it. If I cut myself because it's my fault I'm screwed up then just leave it. I'm living here for a bit but that doesn't mean you can control me and be upset for me when you don't know me anymore," Then she stormed off into the guest room where she was staying, slamming the door behind her.

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**Thanks for reading. I like reviews and comments. I like to hear what you didn't like so I can improve. But please don't send me any outright mean reviews. I don't want to hear that you hated my story so much you want to kill me in my sleep, alright? Thanks again xx**


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